Metro of Hangzhou

Hangzhou Metro is the underground rapid transit system serving Hangzhou and other cities of Zhejiang Province in China. It is the first subway system in Zhejiang Province and seventeenth in China. The metro system is in service from 24th November 2012. Currently, it consists of 3 lines, 57 stations and 81.5 km long route. As of 2015 data, more than 710,000 commuters use Hangzhou Metro every day.

Hangzhou Metro

Historical Background

The traffic congestion within Hangzhou city was a big concern for the city government. They wanted to create an alternative public transport system that will connect different corners of the city and also extend to nearby suburbs. The planning of Hangzhou Metro started during the 1990s. The construction was supposed to start in 2003. However, due to the heavy cost of the project, the State Council didn’t approve the initial layout.

In June 2006, after much modification and alteration, the final draft of the project got approved and Hangzhou Subway Group Corporation Limited was given the responsibility to build and operate the system. The draft design of Line 1, Phase 1 was approved in Jan. 2007 and construction began in March 2007.

Construction works of Line 1, Phase 2 and that of Line 2 and Line 4 were initiated subsequently. Line 2 was opened partially from Nov. 2014 and completely from April 2016. Line 4 started operation from Feb. 2015.

Hours of Operation

The first train starts running around 6 O’ clock in the morning and the last train ends journey around midnight. Variations in this timing can be seen depending upon particular line and section. The average interval between two trains is 8 minutes on weekdays and 9.5 minutes on weekends. On peak hours, trains come every 4 minutes.

Lines and Stations

Construction of Line 1 is complete and it is fully in use. Line 2 and Line 4 are still being extended.

Line 1

Line 1 is a north-south line with a branch extending towards the east. The route takes the shape of English letter Y. The whole route has three parts: from Xianghu to Linping, from Xinaghu to Xiasha Jiangbin and from Coach Center to Linping. It passes through important transfer stations e.g. Main Railway Station, East Railway Station and South Bus Station etc. In addition, interchange to Line 4 is also possible from this line. This line also offers an easy commute to West Lake which is among the famous tourist attractions of the city.

The total track length is 53.6 km covering 34 stations. Stations are underground as well as elevated. Hangzhou MTR Corporation Limited operates this line. A full journey on this line takes around 70 minutes.

Line 2

Line 2 is again a north-south line which travels almost parallel to Line 1 and crosses the Qiantang River. The route starts from Chaoyang station in the south. At this moment, Line 2 terminates immediately after crossing the river at Qianjiang Road.

It is currently an 18.3 km long track connecting 13 stations. Stations are mostly underground; some are elevated. It takes around half an hour to complete a full journey on this line. Hangzhou Metro Corporation and MTR Corporation (Hangzhou) jointly operate this line. From this line, commuters can transfer to Line 4 of Hangzhou Metro.

Main stations on this line are: Qianjiang Road, Qianjiang Century City, Zhenning Road, Jianshe Third Road, Jianshe First Road, People Square, Hangzhou Power Plant, Renmin Road, Chaoyang

Line 4

Line 4 at this moment has a relatively small route connecting Jinjiang Station in Shangcheng District to Pengbu Station in Jianggan District. It has a 9.6 km long track covering 10 stations. A full travel on this line completes within 20 minutes.

Hangzhou Metro Corporation and MTR Corporation (Hangzhou) have been given responsibility to operate this line jointly. From this line, passengers can transfer to Line 1 and Line 2. From East Railway Station on this line, a transfer is possible to Hunkun Railway and other railway systems.

Main stations on this line are: Jinjiang, Citizen Center, Qianjiang Road, Xintang, East Railway Station, Pengbu

Future Expansions

The city authority has plans to operate 10 metro lines covering total 375 km of track length by the end of 2020. Construction work is going on to extend Line 2 and Line 4 further. Line 2 will be extended towards the northwest to Fengtanlu. Line 4 is currently being extended to Puyan in Binjiang District. In the next phase, it will connect South Wenyan Road Station in Xiaoshan District to Sandun Station in Xihu District.

Constructions of Line 5 and 6 have already started. Line 3, 7 and 8 are in planning phase. The city authority aims to construct total 60 million square meters of underground subway area incorporating parking area, commercial centers, warehouses etc. The completed system will have 200 stations covering the city center and nearby suburbs.

Map

Map of Hangzhou Metro shows the operational and planned lines and stations.

Fares and Tickets

The fare in Hangzhou Metro varies with distance. The fare is calculated as follows:

Up to 4 km, CNY 2.
Up to 12 km, CNY 1 for every additional 4 km.
Up to 24 km, CNY 1 for every additional 6 km.
Beyond 24 km, CNY 1 for every additional 8 km.

Two types of tickets are available: Single journey tickets and Subway pass. Single journey tickets are recyclable and valid only for the date of purchase. These can be bought from the ticket vending machines located at the stations.

Subway passes should be collected from the passenger information centers of Hangzhou Metro. Tourist Subway Pass remains valid for 6 months. One-day Pass and Three-day Pass are also available. Different passes cost different. Passengers can also use their IC card or Hang Zhou Tong to pay the fare. Doing this they earn a discount on the fare price.

Children who are less than 1.3 m of height can travel free with an adult guardian. People aged 70 years or more also enjoy free rides at off-peak hours. During peak hours, they must pay half price. Passengers aged 60 to 69 years get a 50% discount on standard fare.

Facilities and Services

Despite being a relatively new system, Hangzhou Metro has no scarcity of amenities and facilities.

Passengers can receive 4G mobile signals on the stations and also on the trains.

All the stations are equipped with adjacent parking lots.

Public bikes are available for rent outside the stations.

There are elevators, escalators and restrooms for passengers on the stations.

Rules

Like any other metro system in the world, Hangzhou Metro also has its own set of rules which are to be followed to ensure its smooth management.

Eating, drinking alcohol and smoking are prohibited inside the subways.

Hangzhou metro map

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